BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY SEPT. 10, 2018) — Even after the primary, the D.A.’s race in Berkshire County refuses to go away. It will not until Paul Caccaviello makes his decision on a sticker campaign for the November general election.

Though it is far from unanimous, many “wise guys” and not just Cacc supporters see in such a campaign a viability that in more typical circumstances might be considered a long shot, particularly after analyzing the numbers. To spell it out, they say he could pull it off. They point to his win in Pittsfield, particularly. Win Pittsfield, win November is how THE PLANET would paraphrase the thinking here. Certainly, a Caccaviello win with a sticker campaign would be one of the biggest political stories of local all time.

We have talked to and heard from a large cross section of “usual suspects” about the prelim from all sides, and, from the notes and the submissions, THE PLANET presents the Winners and Losers. A few points of order:

THE PLANET did not author the listing. We paraphrased, wrote transitions, and edited like Horace Greeley. The byline is fictitious to preserve the identities of the contributors, at their request.

This analysis reflects only the primary race.

Should Caccaviello decide he’s in for November, everything changes.

With that, we present

THE WINNERS AND LOSERS OF THE DA’s RACE

By PIERRE FRANCOIS DELLA BRIOSCHI

Special to PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

The Winners (in no particular order)

John Krol
It wasn’t all upside for Krol. There are supporters of Caccaviello and Judy Knight that Krol angered. They would rather drink water from Silver Lake than vote for Krol next time he’s on a ballot. But all factors considered, Krol was the biggest winner coming out of this election. First, the DA wives controversy surrounding his Facebook show brought the race out of the world of wonk and into talk at barber shops, barrooms, and bordellos. It was the turning point of the race. “Wifegate” wasn’t about issues and had little substance, but these are the kinds of goofs that can sink campaigns. For Krol, Wifegate gave his show publicity and legitimacy. But it was Krol’s needling commentaries and his interview with a reporter on the details of the Capeless resignation and appointment of Caccaviello that drove Betsy Capeless and Karen Caccaviello bananas. Krol was the most outspoken supporter of Harrington, leaving himself open to speculation that he was lined-up for a job in the DA’s office. He denied it. But if he’s not taking a job, the question still remains: why did Krol lay it all on the line for Harrington? Insiders say that Krol had simply built a strong friendship with Harrington, pointing out that he quietly supported her in the state senate race two years ago against Adam Hinds. They also say Krol was motivated to show up the true old-school GOB brass of the Berkshires (Ruberto, Massimiano, Capeless et. al.) and hammer a final nail in the coffin of their electoral relevance. Are they right? 2019 shall answer. Finally, speaking of 2019, as Krol canvassed citywide for Harrington, insiders say this race has set the stage for a mayoral run.

Helen Moon
Like Krol, Moon was with Harrington from the beginning. This made sense, since Harrington supported Moon when she ran as virtual unknown in her race in Ward 1 last year. Moon’s loyalty is also a good example of Harrington’s political instincts. She quietly built a strong coalition of younger (mostly female) activists who are a part of her support base. Those in the know say Moon essentially took on the role as campaign manager, although she didn’t have the title. Moon is known as a solid worker on a campaign, and with her loyalty to Harrington, she has moved up a few pegs on the political totem pole. Keep an eye on Moon to position for a run for state rep. or state senator two years from now. No matter what her future plans, she will have a friend in the DA’s office who owes her one (or two) — assuming Caccaviello doesn’t run in November or, if he does, loses.

Dina Guiel
Guiel lost a close race against Kevin Morandi in 2017, but she didn’t disappear like some election losers do. She got herself appointed to city boards, including the licensing board, and landed a job working for the attorney general — not that being an electoral pest guarantees rose gardens and moons in June. See “Malumphy, Pam” for example. If a loss to Morandi shows Guiel wasn’t ready for prime time, she may have proven herself in the Harrington campaign. If she decides to run against Morandi again in Ward 2, expect a more sophisticated, organized attack. Morandi should be alert to the possibility and plan accordingly. His “loyal opposition” stance against some of the mayor’s initiatives wins Morandi street cred in Ward 2, and he can build on that. It would turn the normally white-bread election in 2 into a sight, if not a spectacle. Another option, with Tricia Farley-Bouvier’s waning popularity and regular blundering, would be for Guiel to take out Farley-Bouvier in a Democratic primary for state rep. Few would mourn the loss and many would dance on TFB’s political grave. After all, TFB barely held onto her seat against an impossibly green-though-precocious first-time candidate Mike Bloomberg in 2016.

Linda Tyer
Tyer desperately needed a win. She got it by publicly hopping onto the Harrington train just before the election. The well-timed endorsement of Harrington put the Caccaviello campaign on its heels, and they struggled to respond. Perhaps the campaign saw no need, thinking the election was theirs. The good vibes from Harrington to Tyer may have been a momentary reprieve from the doldrums of what one administration critic calls “a directionless city administration whose main goal is to fatten the pension,” but it was a shining moment for Tyer nonetheless.

The Losers

Tom Bowler
Since he was elected county sheriff by a landslide two years ago, Bowler has been a centerpiece of the Berkshires’ political power structure. But Bowler now finds himself on losing streak. It hasn’t yet reached Malumphian proportions, but the sheriff needs to either concede or redouble the attack. A sticker win by Caccaviello would throw everything on its head and reassert Bowler as a kingpin. A sticker loss by Cacc would harden the cement on the galoshes. Does Bowler risk it? His close friend Dan Bianchi was demolished by a city clerk (Tyer) three years ago. Now, in spite of the GOBs circling the wagons orchestrating a political succession through the sudden resignation of David Capeless and inserting a third-party candidate (Knight) to split votes, Bowler still couldn’t keep the DA seat in their hands. Bowler is no longer feared, which now puts him in a position where he has to think if he will be electable next time around. Lucky for him, with a six-year term, he wouldn’t have to run for re-election until 2022. Will the sheriff quietly stay in place, content with his salary and future pension, or if he will fight back? Caccaviello’s decision may provide the answer.

Adam Hinds
Hinds easily won his primary contest, but he blew it with loyal Harrington people. He tried to stoke support for Knight in the final week of the race. While Hinds plays off as a “swell progressive dude,” he does as his masters tell him. And those guys wanted Caccaviello. Period. That meant the “progressives” like Hinds and Sherwood Guernsey had to support Knight to take votes away from Harrington. It didn’t work, so Hinds may have some splainin’ to do to his old pal Harrington. When he gets called in on Rug Row, what does he do? Does he ignore the request, as his bosses will advise, or will he come crawling? The nerves might be enough for him to grow his hair back.

Smitty Pignatelli
Smitty played neutral on TV, as he does on almost every hot local issue, but everyone knows he was supporting Caccaviello in real life. In fact, insiders say that he shared sensitive Harrington poll data with Team Caccaviello before she wised up to his two-timing ways. Like Hinds, Smitty knows where his bread is buttered, and it’s not with beatnik, Bernie Sanders-supporting, South County liberals. His bosses wanted Caccaviello, and Smitty worked behind the scenes supporting him. Why not just come out and say it? Instead, his brother Scott stood out at the polls in Lenox with a Caccaviello sign. Message received.

Melissa Mazzeo
While she stayed mostly quiet during the campaign, Mazzeo backed the loser. While Caccaviello took Pittsfield, he fell short of the numbers needed to win the countywide race. Mazzeo didn’t seem to move the needle for Cacc. Perhaps if Caccaviello runs stickers, Mazzeo will come out full force, but the question there would be the same as the one for Bowler: Does she risk it? Since insiders believe she’s definitely running for mayor, Mazzeo likely wanted to stay under the radar to avoid any fallout from the DA’s race. But in doing so, she missed an opportunity to tip the scales for Caccaviello, who would have won if he could muster 500 more votes in Pittsfield. Could Mazzeo have helped him do that? We’ll never know since she decided to stay on the sidelines, despite publicly backing Caccaviello.

The Biggest Losers

Earl Persip
Undoubtedly, Persip wins the award for biggest loser. Based on THE PLANET‘s relentless coverage of “Signgate,” one wag suggested the award should be named The Dumpster Behind Paul Rich Award for Cloudy Political Thinking. No one believes Persip’s bullshit story that he was tossing Harrington signs in the dumpster behind Paul Rich & Sons because they were “damaged.” Not even Persip believed it. In the now-infamous sign dump, Persip took a political double whammy. Both sides (Team Harrington and Team Caccaviello) have no reason to trust him one bit. For Team Harrington, he was “the jerk” who pretended to be for their candidate but was caught tossing her signs in a dumpster, while secretly supporting Caccaviello. For Team Caccaviello, he was the guy who was forced to say publicly that he was supporting Harrington because he got caught dumpster diving and had to cover his ass. Either way, he pissed everyone off. Everyone populating the Nine Circles of Pittsfield Political Hades knows you can’t trust Earl as far as you can throw him, and he’s a pretty big dude. You can’t throw him far. Persip is radioactive toast. No one will touch him between now and September 2019.

Tricia Farley-Bouvier
Farley-Bouvier’s bungled attempt to un-split the “progressive vote” in the DAs race flopped. Her clumsy, heavy-handed attempt goes down as one of the county’s all-time political blunders. Worse for her, the debacle gave Judy Knight moral high ground and momentum, infuriating Harrington and her people. Farley-Bouvier pissed off the winners, not a smart move. On election night at the Harrington party, TFB was doing her best to stick her face in every photo op and position herself to be on the stage next to Harrington for the victory speech. You know, the way she always does. Harrington gave Tricia the bum’s rush. She sure as hell wasn’t going to hog the stage or swallow one ray of limelight. One of Harrington’s people had to tell TFB to back off. Forcefully. There was almost a scene. These things are not forgotten in the elephantine memories that abound in Pittsfield politics It’s a widespread belief that Farley-Bouvier wrote her political obit. Look, if no one wants you there, it’s probably a better idea to just stay home.

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“When ‘They’ say you can’t do it, that’s when you should do it” — Sir Tiberius Fruitjuice.

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

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100 Responses to “‘GUEST’ COLUMN: WINNERS AND LOSERS OF THE D.A.’s SEPTEMBER PRIMARY”

Ruberto=Bouvier =Tyer =Kroll=Moon=Hinds=White=Harrington….the good ole boys……Pignitelli is Mr Vanilla and that’s why electric bills have tripled in the Berkshires……If he says one more time after 28 years that the people of Pittsfield need to realize GE isn’t coming back im going to puke so Bouvier,Pignatelli,Hints have not worked hard for their voter

Most of Pittsfield politics’ Good Old Boys supported the campaign of Andrea Harrington for District Attorney. They had to play it safe if Paul Caccaviello won. Nuciforo donated to both campaigns; Luciforo gave Andrea Harrington $250, and Paul Caccaviello $200.
The Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office needs to be reformed! From the framing of the late Bernard Baran through homophobia and hidden audio tape recordings, to the conspiratorial retirement of David Capeless and anointment of Paul Caccaviello, it all showed corruption. It could be said, however, that is how Pittsfield politics has always operated.

A sticker campaign is fantasy land. Sounds like something Gaetani would come up with. Cacc ran a garbage campaign.He did not deserve to win, even though he was the more experienced candidate. Typical lazy incumbent.

I think you are a little harsh in your assessment. Cacc ran a good, clean campaign, and you could say he deserved to win, because he campaigned, didn’t take it for granted that he would win, etc, and is emminently more qualified and experienced than Harrington, or anyone else in the Mass Bar besides Capeless himself. I would hardly call him a “typical lazy incumbent”.

On the other hand, and to your point, Harrington campaigned really hard, seemed to want it more, and ran a great campaign, better than Caccs, and also a clean campain.

A sticker campaign is not fantasy land. It can work.

The question is, if Cacc begs off, who is going to challenge Harrington?

Eminently more qualified and experienced is the criteria. The voters got this one wrong as they did with tyred and 8 idiots on the council along with Bouvier and hinds. Cacaviello can beat Harrington and the gobsigs and most city residents would welcome this.I have seen more cacaviello signs popping up where there weren’t prior to the primary. This is a good sign. Harrington is a big gobsig candidate and we have too many of these types in office already. Everyone should back Mr. Cacaviello if he decides to run as a write in candidate. He can win this election and no one should state otherwise.

So, you’re saying that not only could caccaviello win a write-in vote, but someone else, a new candidate, might win by he same tactic? That is one of the most idiotic thing’s I’ve read in a while. Thank you for that.

A sticker campaign (write-ins would also be allowed) is an interesting idea. Something similar just happened in the Pioneer Valley. It could possibly work IF the word gets out to enough people.
BTW Dan, your term ‘Malumphian’ describing the longest losing streak is an instant classic.

SW
Thanks. Yes, I was rather pleased with that one myself. It was one of my contributions to material that I didn’t write but had to heavily edit. “Malumphian = adj., a condition or attribute indicting losing; ‘busy bodying’ to ill effect.”

The experts got it all wrong on Bowler. I recall him running the first time, and saying he wasn’t going to be a politician. He has known Cacc for years as cop, so why wouldn’t he support him? Why should he care about running again? He can walk away tomorrow with a pension well north of $100k for life. You can look it up, as Yogi bear used to say. And the GOB’s did not circle the wagons for Cacc, and Bowler is not a GOB. Massimiano/Ruberto, Tyer/Krol/Stracuzzi et al are the GOB’s, and want to control the office, so they control who does, or shall I say does not, get indicted. Kapish??? And Cacc’s team did not insert Knight to split the vote. That actually hurt Harrington more, even though they are both female, because they are both card carrying progressives, hence the backroom dealing by Bouvier to get Knight to pull the plug. Lastly, if Bowler is foolish enough to run again, rather than take the money and run, he will crush any opponent like a grape. Mark my words.

No one is going to beat Sheriff ” Pudgie” Bowler, a write in campaign is an uphill climb can it be done ? Who knows, Arlos use to say often they don’t vote for you they vote against you. It would be a binary choice if it was to happen. Not even TFB could even thwart the voters with a write in campaign.

Why are there certain groups that vote for each other, campaign for each other, and never have the taxpayers best interest in mind. Gaetani will be at O and R tonight at seven, on Channel Mars…1303…. Be there, for a Reality Check.

So, some guy is telling the pub at o and r that he wants to take care of the homeless, as PCTV shuts it down and a picture of Earl D is shown. You can’t make it up. Then it goes to a C C Meeting from last month. Where’s Ellen De Generate?

Sonny Caca would have a great shot at upending Harrington. He beat the gobsigs here in Pittsfield and that is a big deal. As for competence and experience she doesn’t have it. She is a clone of tyer and we all know how this has worked out. He would be remiss
not to run as the opportunity to defeat a gobsig backed candidate would be good for all of us. Go for it Paul. You certainly have the brains and experience to beat this light weight. The city needs you.

I am a registered independent. I wanted to vote for Paul Cacc.
But i really detest the lefty loony tunes Warren so i wanted to vote for Diehl even though he has no shot. I’m sure there are many independents or smart republicans who would vote for him. This is not the type of job to fill with a no experience politically correct wanna be. How many of the Knight votes would he get? I think plenty those were the smart Dems if there is such a thing, who didn’t vote for Andrea H. Run again Please Paul C

Does anyone here remember when the Republican party was slow to spend and slow and cautious going forward into the future socially. The party now loves debt if it buys weapons and tax cuts as they are running backwards to the fake greatness of the 60s.

“It may make me sound out of touch, but I have more interest in who is going to be the next high school senior president than I am who is going to be the next DA. Perhaps that’s a bit of hyperbole, but the point is I have no proverbial dog in this fight. The fight is being brought to me,” Harris said.

Rino Rich Dohoney gave Harrington $500.00 and his mommy gave her $100.00. Is $600.00 enough to buy the 1st assistant DA job. Why didn’t rotund Rich and him mommy give $1000.00 each? Harrington must be running a special.

Speaking of Silver Lake, and taking a drink from it, I recall a fine young man, many years ago when I could still turn heads, named Randy Rocca, ran for mayor and had his picture in the Eagle drinking from Silver Lake. He wanted to clean it up and he was about 50 years ahead of his time. I heard he survived the pcb’s but was killed in a motorcycle accident in California, where he went to be a star. If only Krol would fly the coop too.

It’s apparent that John Krol is the writer of the guest column. He is the only person who would put himself at the top of the win list and bait the readers to talk about his mayoral run.

The way I hear it, he has managed to piss off more people that ever. He couldn’t beat the dog catcher in a race for Mayor.

Back to why a sticker campaign has no chance. Now that a Dem has been anointed, if Paul tries to run one, the Dems will come out in force to enforce. Healy and Warren will be called upon. Even Neal will endorse rather than go against his party. They will pull out all the stops. Paul will lose and lose badly and make himself unemployable.

Trump is looking to hire more experienced liars so Krol might want to head to Pennsylvania Ave. Slots opening up every day. You can even lie on your application just like Jared did and it is considered a talent.

Doom trump says his response in PR was magnificent. He said 60 were killed when in reality 2975 lost their lives The entire nation knows that the PR response was a disgrace but evidently no one in his administration told scump it was a disgrace. Oh shucks what’s the difference between 60 and 2975. That’s such an itsy bitsy small difference who cares. Sick sick sick . I pitty the poor people in the carolinas. They can expect the same treatment the UScitizens in PR got because the same not wit who abandoned the US citizens in PR is the same person at the helm today.Pray for the people of the Carolina I am.

Every thing I just said is totally factual. You are not aware of it because you listen to fox. Tell me one thing in my post that is not accurate? If I am wrong I will admit that I am asap. If I am right I expect that you will do the same.

If you missed last night ordinance and rules meeting? You must watch it on re-run,Mr,Gaetani picked White apart like the skill of a surgeon. There is no one who comes close to the G Man in brains in this City.

He spoke at length about the proposed police advisory committee and why it is crucially needed. He stated that the blood of the man who was shot seven times and killed by a policeman is on the hands of Tyer,Winn,and some city Councilors who didn’t heed his advice in seven petitions he submitted to the Council, asking that body cameras be fitted every police officer on the force at no cost.

He also stated that boots on the ground which has petitions for many times, must be inacted immediately. Other citizens at the meeting did not offer much and all of them were quoted by dum dum at the Berkshire rag,but no word mentioned about the Wizard. Thanks Mr. Gaetani for supporting we bedraggled taxpayers. November 2019 cannot get here fast enough.

The G man states the facts and when a nitwit like white gets in the way he finishes him. He leaves after he speakers because he is a very busy man and can stream the bs when he has time. I assume you like prim and proper like tyer et al and look what that has got us. No no the wiz calls it as he sees it. Have you thanked the G man for what he saved you when he built the water plants and what he is trying to save you today. What kind of a not wit are you. Don’t ever try to get the G man to conform to your standards you should try to confirm to his standards.He is a doer and you are a talker. He can point to results what can you point to.

Careful or the G man will wrap you up in your own web. You evidently do not care for people like the G man who always tells it like it is. You are a peter white groupy and you have to be quite lacking to look up to a clown like him. Name one thing peter white has done for the taxpayer of this city and what is it that you have done that we can point to. Your just a gobsig. One gobsig propping up another gobsig. The G man hates gobsigs and when he encounters them he destroys them like he did with peter white who is one of the biggest gobsigs in this city. Now please tell us what you have done for the taxpayers of this city?

Harrison you are another soft skull. Gaetanis is a good friend of mine He is a man of the world and his only goal is to insure that a not wit like yourself is not picked clean by the powers to be. He is busy every minute of the day but always makes time to come to all city meetings trying to save the taxpayers millions of millions of dollars as only he can.Try to pay attention not wit as it is evident you haven’t been. It is amazing how the nobody’s throw stones at the somebody’s. As I stated above your just another soft skull and there might not be any cure for that. Its like stupid and we all know there is no cure or that either. I guess the next nut will be coming out of the wood work as soon as I post this please only the truth lies will be dealt with swiftly. Remember the truth will set you free. Of course I am only having fun but the truth is something we must all strive for and lies must be dealt with as soon as we recognize them.

No wunderkind we are in the shape were in, rather than have no voice these fools on here will continue to vote for the moon river Tyred old same old. At least this wizard guy tries, what a bunch of bleeps on here, really.

I am socially a liberal and I feel White ,Kroll,Rivers ,Moon were trying to put certain councilors on the spot who quite rightly felt this petition was worded to make people not back away from a politically motivated petition.I did not believe White and Kroll when they said this was acknow brainer.Some people dont arrive at the same thinking or support at the same time……getting and giving attitude like Kroll, white and moon is not good for a liberal agenda.Respect your fellow councilors .Mazzeo was correct in her thoughtfulness

Bob Woodward says trump is a closed minded empty headed buffoon who doesn’t listen to people in his administration. His idea to take all troops out of south Korea was a whim he had and he had to be convinced that the only reason we had peace there for 70 years was because they were there and also because they were there we didn’t have world war three. We are in peril every minute trump is president. I until recently thought we would have a blue wave in November but we better pray for a blue tsunami or we could be swept out to sea.This is very serious very serious. Opponents please reply in an intelligent manner. Oh yes I was in the city council chambers tonight and my good friend Mr. Gaetanis represented the tax payer marvelously as he did Monday night at the O and R meeting.I wish everyone could know him as I do. He is the most down to earth individual I have ever known. If he likes you he will do anything for you but if he dislikes you be careful he will come at you like a pit bull. I actually feel sorry for the bulk of the council and the mayor because he has no use for them and he tells them to their face that he has no use for them.On this water and sewer project Gaetanis has already won he has painted eight councilors the mayor and tutocy as a pack of buffoons. He can only do so much because their is very little nervous tissue there for the G man to deal with. It’sIlke several who post here. The G man tries to help them and they throw stones.The Gman has dealt with real tough sharks in his career and he laughs at the light weights he is dealing with here.He states that if you take 8 of the city councilors the mayor and Mr.tutocy and gather up all their nervous tissue it could fit on the head of a surgical pin and have enough room left over to pour in the Atlantic ocean.Now who could deal with that.Mr Gadtani is having a lot of fun.Can you tell?